Bob Dylan chronicles roots of his music at gala in his honor

LOS ANGELES, Feb 7 (Reuters) - Bob Dylan, known for playing
concerts with barely a word spoken to his audience, gave a
lengthy speech on Friday at a gala in his honor where he
chronicled the roots of his music while also praising and
ribbing famous figures.

The 73-year-old Dylan, considered by many musicians and
critics to be the best singer-songwriter of his time, spoke for
40 minutes at the Los Angeles event tied to this weekend's
Grammy Awards, as he was named "person of the year" by the
MusiCares charity.

Former U.S. president Jimmy Carter handed Dylan the award
after a night of performances of his songs, including "Knocking
on Heaven's Door" and "Standing in the Doorway", by a cast of
superstars.

But Dylan neither played nor sang. Instead, he read from a
speech detailing his roots in folk music.

"All these songs are connected, don't be fooled, I was just
opening up a different door in a different kind of way," Dylan,
wearing a bolo tie, told the audience.

To prove his point, Dylan recited lyrics from traditional
songs such as "John Henry" and "Come All You Fair and Tender
Ladies", followed by words from his most famous songs such as
"Blowin' In the Wind" and "The Times They Are A-Changin'",
demonstrating how his lyrics mirrored the earlier songs.

He also spoke rapturously about musical figures from his
past, calling Joan Baez a "free, independent spirit" and Nina
Simone an "overwhelming artist".

But Dylan also lambasted several famous people he described
as having thought little of him, including songwriters Jerry
Leiber and Mike Stoller who wrote hits for Elvis Presley.

Dylan grew up in a Jewish family in a remote mining town in
Minnesota, then dropped out of college and moved to New York
where he became famous in the early 1960s.

The 10-time Grammy winner has tirelessly re-invented
himself, at various times taking on the persona of pop jester,
rock superstar, evangelizing Christian and wizened poet.

The gala raised a record $7 million for the MusiCares
Foundation, which helps members of the music industry who have
fallen on hard times, Neil Portnow, president of the National
Academy of the Recording Arts and Sciences told the crowd.
(Editing by Gareth Jones)